Local Cemetery Conservation: Historic Mortar Infill

Infill is the process of filling in the gap that remains after a repair has been made to mend a stone. This final step helps to eliminate any open gaps that are left, that may allow excessive water build up that could cause an issue during a freeze/thaw cycle. Infill is a fine mortar that aids the stone in breathing and moisture transfer.

These series of videos were produced for the 2021 Local History & Historical Preservation Conference. The Wisconsin Historical Society partnered with monument conservator Jonathan Appell to cover the basics of cemetery preservation. Through a partnership with the Osceola Historical Society and the Mount Hope Cemetery Association, Jonathan demonstrates and performs treatments for the most common gravestone and monument preservation dilemmas, including cleaning, resetting tilted stones, and rejoining fractured tablet stones. The goal of these videos will be to give local cemetery staff or volunteers the knowledge to perform basic preservation procedures.

The workshop and these videos were produced by Valley Access Channels in Stillwater, Minnesota. Music credit: Storyblocks.com